1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for providing a vehicle ID service using an Electric Control Unit (hereinafter, referred to as ECU), and more particularly to a system for providing a vehicle ID service using an ECU, in which a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (hereinafter, referred to as WCDMA) service module is mounted on the ECU and a serial number is provided for the WCDMA as like a portable terminal, thereby making it possible to provide additional services using the serial number.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In our complex modern society, the time which drivers spend in vehicles per day in increasing more and more. While driving, drivers want to perform various tasks and obtain necessary information.
Further, while driving their vehicles, drivers want to use a vehicle navigation service, such as traffic information and directions to a destination, and various multimedia services such as listening to music CDs and watching AV functions of video and TV.
Recently, technologies relating to an information terminal for a vehicle, an AV system and a navigation system for a vehicle have been developed in order to satisfy drivers' various demands.
As high-performance computers have been becoming rapidly popular recently, demands for processing multimedia data have increased. Further, as the capability of a processors and wireless network access speed are improving, it is expected that common tasks between vehicle drivers or between a vehicle driver and a physical distribution center can be implemented.
In addition, the use of a subminiature wireless-multimedia input/output terminal capable of performing Internet Access to transmit and receive voice and images increases in order for drivers to be present in handling cooperation tasks.
A system according to the International Standard prescribing communication between multimedia terminals is required, which has a compact sire and a small consumption of electricity, can secure a stability in transmission of data in a wireless mobile environment and sufficient data compression in order to transmit digital images and audio data in real-time, can provide convenience for users during driving, and can be compatible with another system.
Such a wireless multimedia terminal system for a vehicle is disclosed in Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-2001-56293.
The wireless multimedia terminal system disclosed in the Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-2001-56233 includes a driver interface unit 100, a multimedia data processor 120, a call control and data transmission unit 130, multitask supporting unit 140 and a communication accessing unit 150, as shown in FIG. 1.
The driver interface unit 100 includes a driver interface module 101 for displaying data so that a user can use traffic information, playing the role of starting arid finishing image communication and managing entire interfaces in a system, a driver information management module 102 for selecting and calling a user's menu designated to a remote driver or a physical distribution manager who wants to carry out image communication, and a vehicle information management module 103 for processing and displaying information required in managing and driving a vehicle.
The multimedia data processor 120 includes a voice recognition module 121 which does not require unnecessary key operation for a driver's safety during driving, a video capture/output and video stream driver module 122 for receiving and digitalizing moving picture signals to compress a video stream, and an audio input/output and audio stream driver module 123 for receiving and digitally compressing a driver's voice and for recovering and outputting an audio stream received from a driver.
The call control and data transmission unit 130 includes a call setting module 131 for allowing a vehicle driver to transmit images to a remote site and for setting a call in order for the driver to comply with an invitation to image communication from the remote site, a signal control module 132 for performing the exchange of the performance relating to multimedia data processing between a moving terminal system and a terminal system for a remote vehicle system after the call setting is completed and for performing a function, for example, setting of wireless data transmission channel, and a real-time wireless transmission module 133 for transmitting packets of multimedia stream data and synchronized information of a vehicle terminal in driving and for unpacking packet data received from the other terminal system driving vehicle so as to extract stream data according to media.
The multi-task supporting module 140 provides a multi-task function to application programs under an operating system in the vehicle terminal system, creates transmission and reception tasks for independent video and audio stream data, simultaneously carries out multiple-tasks in real-time, responds to a finishing requirement from a terminal system of another vehicle while a driver uses an image communication function of the terminal system of the driver's vehicle, and continuously performs functions of setting and controlling a call.
The communication connecting unit 150 includes a wireless modem driver module 151 for configuring a wireless modem environment so that the driver performs the image communication under a wireless environment of the driving vehicle, a wired modem driver module 152 for supporting a wired modem access function and operating an image communication function on the Internet, and ECU for storing and displaying vehicle traffic information.
The wireless multimedia terminal system according to the above-mentioned Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-2001-56293 supplies a wireless multimedia environment to a user who drives a vehicle, and also can operate as a vehicle terminal system which is a multimedia input/output terminal mounted on a vehicles to implement an image communication function based on the International Standard relating to a multimedia terminal for image communication.
However, since the wireless multimedia terminal system according to the Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-2001-56293 is separately controlled without relation to an ECU system, it is difficult to freely control a vehicle from outside of the vehicle.